This blog is for those 18 and older.

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Romance GO

Well, I didn't get much done this summer. Nothing new there. But I have been thinking a lot about the Pokémon GO craze. In the grand scheme of things, I approve. Why not have a game that gets people out of the house and exercising (side-effects of game excluded)? And then I thought, wouldn't it be great to have a game that I'd be interested in and would have me running out the door? So, if there are any game designers out there, I would like to propose Romance GO. I don't have all the details worked out, but . . .

Perhaps you could find him in the produce aisle.

Nature hike, anyone?

I don't think I'd walk down a dark alley for him, but perhaps there could be an "allure charm" to entice him to come out.

Art show? Did you even notice the painting behind him? Go ahead and look again. I'll wait.

 Night on the town, beautiful?

After an exhausting day, a nap might be nice.


So, that's just my version of Romance GO. What's yours?

Until next time, I'll be working on a game proposal and dreaming of the possibilities. Kid in a candy store? YES!!!



Thursday, July 28, 2016

2016 RWA Conference


I had the good fortune of attending the 2016 RWA Conference in San Diego earlier this month (which is why this post is late…I totally got thrown off my routine and you know, if you’ve read my blog before, that I am a creature of habit and routine!)
There was so much to see and do, it was a bit overwhelming (all right, it was a lot overwhelming!) and I had a raging case of sensory overload. As you know, much of a writer’s life is spent in solitude with her (or his) characters and the computer. Even if one has a day job (which I do), most of the talking is in one’s head. Not so at a conference of this size! There were over 2000 attendees! Wow! I think we pretty much took over the hotel!
The highlights for me:
1.    Getting to spend time with Lexi Post, critique partner extraordinaire, her fabulous DH, several writer friends I hadn’t seen in a while and meeting new authors I hadn't met before.
2.    The weather! When I left Phoenix, it was 106 blast furnace degrees. I landed in San Diego to 74 degrees and an ocean breeze. I came in a day early and explored the city a little bit, which I loved and at night, when the sun dipped into the horizon, I needed a light sweater. Heaven! Pure bliss!
3.    Meeting my publishers for the first time (shout out to Tara, Julie and Jess at Crimson Romance…so nice to meet you in person. You are wonderful, but I already knew that!) as well as some of the other authors who write for Crimson….ladies, it was a pleasure!)
4.    Attending as many workshops as humanly possible. And there were a lot, all superbly given by some of my favorite authors. It’s amazing how much I didn’t know I didn’t know (did that make sense?). By the time Saturday rolled around, my brain was full, bursting with information…and ideas! So many ideas!
5.    And finally, books, books, books! Again, just heaven for a lover of the written word like me!
All in all, a fantastic trip (if a bit exhausting) and I will do it again. If you ever have the opportunity to attend this conference, I highly recommend you do so….you won’t regret it.

As always, happy reading!
Marie

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

EDEN DISCOVERED Released and a Mask Giveaway!

Eden Discovered
(Eden Series #3)
by Lexi Post
Now Available


Animal lover Jaelene Upton doesn’t expect to lose sight of her sister when she follows her through a bizarre travel portal, but that’s exactly what happens when she’s distracted by a cute baby porcupine. Lost, she asks for directions, only to be nearly assaulted by one naked man before being saved by another. Her best guess is she’s landed among a native tribe in the middle of a jungle….but odd reflections and energy sources have her questioning even that assumption.

Theron misses his home in Loraleaf and the brothers of his heart, Konala and Rekah. His new home, a lonely cave, is his escape from seeing the woman he loves happily bonded to Loraleaf’s leaders. When he saves Jaelene from lawbreakers, he finds himself drawn to her intoxicating curiosity and despite his best efforts, he falls for her. But no matter what his heart wants, he can’t offer her anything but safety and a reunion with her sister. Unless…

If Theron can interest Konala in Jaelene as well, then he would only have two more obstacles to conquer, Rekah and Jaelene herself. But Rekah, hurt by Theron’s betrayal, wants nothing to do with Jaelene, and when she discovers Theron’s past love, she refuses to be his consolation price. As the battle with the lawbreakers grows near, Theron realizes this time, he may well lose more than his heart.
 


Excerpt from Eden Discovered:  
   Jaelene didn’t know whether to laugh or cry to find herself escaping from one naked man intent on rape only to run into the arms of another naked man who wanted who knew what.
   “Shhh, we must be quiet if we don’t want him to find you.”
   The soothing baritone voice did more to slow her panic than his actual words. She nodded against his arm and he lifted his hand away. 
   “So in other words, don’t scream.” She raised her head to look at the face of the man that held her and sucked in her breath. His eyes were the deepest brown she’d ever seen. They reminded her of dark chocolate, one of her biggest weaknesses. His cheek bones were prominent and his lips full. The only imperfection was a small bump on his nose.
   Those lips lifted slightly. “Yes.”
   Wow, she needed to focus. She didn’t know this man any more than the blond one.
   His hold on her loosened. “We need to leave here. He will soon tire of chasing my reflection and come looking for you.”
   “Your reflection?”
   “Later. Can you run?”
   “If you mean fast, then no. I think I have small lungs, but if you need help lifting something…” her gaze moved to his arms. “Never mind.”
   He turned his back to her as he grinned.
   He found her amusing, but she was used to that. No one took her seriously except her sister and her boss.
   He bent his knees, and spoke over his shoulder. “Jump on my back. I’ll carry you.”
   She looked at his broad back, the muscles tensed for her weight. A glance below it showed a hard rounded butt and thighs the size of her head. Oh, the man was built. “Are you sure?” Now that was a dumb question.
   “Yes.”
   She glanced back where she’d last seen the blond man headed into the jungle. What choice did she have? At least this man was nice. And seriously hot. 








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Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Known by Kendra Elliot


 

The best place to murder someone starts in the Cascade Range of Oregon.  Although the main target stayed alive, others died along the way.

A blizzard filled the mountains with snow and ice, closing roads, and cutting off communication.

This is when Chris Jacobs checks the smell of smoke a distance from his own cabin.  He finds Gianna Trask and her teenage daughter hiding out in their vehicle near a burnt out cabin.

Naturally, he takes them to his cabin, Chris and Gianna exchange glances of interest and arousal, and they’re stuck together for a few days.Product Details

I enjoyed the suspense part of the story as people kept getting murdered by a killer who couldn’t do his job very well –in other words, he still hadn’t gotten his main target, Gianna.

I was all for Gianna and Chris getting it on since they didn’t have a lot else to do in a cabin with a fireplace and beautiful snow tumbled over the forested range outside their  windows, but I felt I didn’t “know” them very well.  Gianna had a flat personality and Chris was too quiet. 

I’ve decided quiet characters aren’t given the best opportunity to express themselves.  Chris is chivalrous, though, in saving the ladies and taking care of them until the killer is discovered.  I’ll give him that.

Known is the fifth story of the series Bone Secrets.  If anyone has read any of the other novels of the series, I’d love to hear what you think!



Happy reading,

Dawn